What is PFC-free in rain jacket

What is PFC-free/PFAS-free in Rain jacket?

Does the term PFC sound familiar?　PFC refers to perfluorocarbon, a fluorine compound. Traditionally, PFCs have been widely used in various fields, including water repellency in Rain jacket.

In recent years, however, there have been concerns about the effects of some of the substances contained in PFCs on the human body and the environment. Therefore, PFC-free Rain jacket, which is a water-repellent finish that does not use PFC, has been rapidly developed in recent years.

PFC-free Rain jacket is considered to be highly safe, with minimal impact on the human body and the environment. On the other hand, PFC-free Rain jacket is more delicate and prone to performance degradation, requiring detailed maintenance to maintain optimal performance.

※Strictly speaking, PFC-free and PFAS-free are different, but their definitions are often used interchangeably because they are defined differently by different organizations and associations. For this reason, they are treated as one in this article.

Differences between water repellent treatment with PFC and PFC-free water repellent treatment

PFC, perfluorocarbon, is a fluorocarbon compound that has excellent chemical stability, making it difficult to bind to water, oil, and various contaminants. 

However, the chemical stability of PFC also makes it difficult to decompose in nature. Furthermore, PFOA and perfluorooctanoic acid, substances contained in PFC, have been linked to cancer and are easily accumulated in the human body. For these reasons, PFC-free water repellency is now the mainstream water repellent finish for Rain jacket.

PFC-free water repellent treatments are mainly made with silicone or paraffin. Silicones and paraffins have lower human and environmental impact than PFCs and are considered safer when used in Rain jacket

Both silicone and paraffin are hardly soluble in water. These properties of silicone and paraffin are used to make PFC-free Rain jacket. On the other hand, silicone and paraffin bind to oil and various stains more easily than PFC. Therefore, PFC-free Rain jacket tends to be more difficult to repel oil and more susceptible to stains.

Based on these facts, it can be said that PFC-free Rain jacket is more delicate, easily damaged by sweat, sebum, and external stains at an earlier stage, and its water repellency is also more likely to deteriorate.

PFC-free in GORE-TEX products

In the case of GORE-TEX products, which are popular as Rain jacket, the fabric of the Rain jacket consists of an interlining made of GORE-TEX membrane, a high-performance film-like membrane, and outer and lining fabrics to protect it and make it more comfortable to wear.

Organic fluorine compounds were conventionally used in the GORE-TEX membrane, which is the core material. In recent years, however, GORE-TEX membranes that do not use organic fluorine compounds have been successfully developed and are now being commercialized.

And the outer fabrics that come into contact with the outside air are treated with a water-repellent finish, and the trend is for future GORE-TEX products to basically be treated with a PFC-free water-repellent finish. This makes it possible to be truly fluorine-free.

Thus, the PFC-free movement is steadily advancing in GORE-TEX products as well.

Need for professional maintenance

Rain jacket made of waterproof and breathable materials is a very good product. On the other hand, without proper maintenance, its excellent performance will not be fully realized because the outer and lining fabrics will interfere with its breathability.

First, it is important to wash Rain jacket frequently. Removing oil and various other contaminants from the Rain jacket will not only keep it looking clean, but will also keep it performing at its best.

Second, Rain jacket that has been used repeatedly should be heat treated to restore its degraded water repellency. If it still does not recover, additional water repellency treatments are required.

These first and second treatments are now more important than ever to be aware of as they become PFC-free.

If you hire a professional, advanced technology and well-equipped facilities can properly remove various stains from your Rain jacket and perform advanced water repellent treatments that cannot be performed at home.

This is the time to reach out to us. By Drop Roof, you can maintain the original performance of your Rain jacket, including GORE-TEX products, with proper care and maintenance using the latest technology. Drop Roof supports your safe and comfortable outdoor life with our specialized outdoor maintenance. Please contact us for more information.